Clothespin



Nov. 23 1926. 1,607,943

- J. L. CENTLIVERE CLOTHESPIN Filed Jan 29 1926 were ATTORNEYS m. N w

Patented Nov. 23, 1 926.

JoHN n, cE vTLiv nE, or titanium, WYOMING.

cLorrnnsrm.

Application filed January 29, 1926. Serial No. 84,709.

My invention relates to improvements in clothes pins, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a clothes pinwhich will so. grip the clothes that there is no danger of their becoming accidentally displaced from the line.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is more easily manipulated than the ordinary clothes pin, both in the fastening of the clothes to the line, and in the detachment of the clothes from the line.

A further object of my invention is to provide a clothes pin which consists of few parts, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the device,

Figure 2 is a face view showing the parts in open position, and

Figure 3 is a View showing the parts in closed position.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a member A which is preferably made of wood. Near the bottom and on the inner side thereof is a recess or groove B, while the portion C between the groove B and the end D is beveled or curved, as shown in the drawing.

A companion member E, also preferably made of wood, is provided. One end of the member E has cutaway portions F to provide a finger grip. The opposite end is tapered from a point it nearly to the end, the extreme end being rounded, as shown at G.

A guide member H, which is preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal bent in U-shaped form, is secured to the member 'A by means of rivets K, or other suitable fastening devices, in such a manner as to leave a portion projecting beyond the inner edges of the member A through which the member E can slide freely. In order to limit the movement of the member E, I provide upper and lower stop pins M and N, respectively.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. In the open. position, as shown in Figure 2, the member E has been raised. In this position, the pin is placed over the clothes line and the portion of the clothes to be suspended therefrom so that thel'ine i ssubstantial-ly in registration with the recess B. The member E is now pushed downwardly, and in doing so, the tapered portion crowds the clothes line. P and the clothes B into the recess, while the tapered portion wedges the clothes between the two members A and E, as shown in Figure 3.

It is almost impossible for the clothes to become accidentally loosened from this pin. In order for the clothes to be released, it is necessary that the member E be raised relatively to the member A. Any additional tension downwardly which the clothes receive, such, for instance, as their blowing in the wind, will only tend to wedge them tighter.

Notwithstanding the fact that this clothes pin grips the clothes very tightly, the clothes can be instantly released by pulling upwardly on the member E. This is facilitated by the provision of the finger recesses F which permit a firm grip, so that the clothes may be instantly released when the member E is raised. The stop pins prevent the member E from passing out of the guide H. The pin M is so disposed as to permit the movement of the member E into such a position as to grip a thin piece, such as a handkerchief, or something having a considerably greater bulk, while the pin N is so disposed as to bring the parts into position to release anything which has been gripped, while at the same time preventing the passage of the'member E out of the guide.

The tapered portion of the member E, it will be understood, compensates for various sizes of clothes line and various thicknesses of clothes, since the farther down the member E is pushed, the narrower the space between the members E and A. In Figure 3, the member E is shown in its extreme position, but it will be understood that the gripping of the clothes may take place at any posit-ion between that shown in Figures 2 and 3, owing to the tapered portion of the member E.

I claim:

1. A clothes pin comprising a pair of gripping members, one of said members having a recess, a U-shaped guide member secured to said recessed gripping member, the other gripping member being disposed within said U-shaped guide member and arranged to slide with respect to said recessed member, said slidable member being provided with a tapered end portion movable toward and away from said recess, and stop pins carried by said slidable member for limiting its movement in either direction.

2. A clothes pin comprising a stationary member having a substantially arcuateshaped groove disposed horizontally in one side thereof, said side being tapered from the groove to the lower end of said stationary member, relatively long U-shaped guide secured to said stationary member at a point adjacent the groove therein, a rela tively long movable member disposed within said U-shaped guide and arranged to slide with respect to said stationary mem ber, said slidable member being provided with a relatively long tapered wall adjacent said stationary member, a lower stop pin, an upper stop pin, said pins being adapted to engage with said U-shaped guide to limit the longitudinal movement of said slidable member with respect to said stationary member, and a finger grip positioned above said upper stop p1n.

JOHN L. GENTLIVERE. 

